


Riptide

by RazzAppleMagic



Category: One Piece
Genre: M/M, One Piece AU, Romance, ZoSan - Freeform, sanjizoro, slowburn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-01-14
Packaged: 2019-10-05 19:37:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17331116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RazzAppleMagic/pseuds/RazzAppleMagic
Summary: There’s something electric about the way their eyes meet. An unspoken, tangible energy between them. Sanji can’t stand this guy, and yet he feels compelled to be near him. He’d lived his entire life being unmatched, bored even. And now...Now there was someone who felt worthy of a challenge.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alrighty guys, strap in because this is the start of a really fun slowburn that I've been working on. Modern day Japan AU. Lots of gay, but that's barely a warning because you're on AO3, you know what you're in for. Keeping the M rating for now, but may possibly change it to E later depending on how things unfold. 
> 
> Sanji moves to a beach town in an attempt at a fresh start. He gets a new job at a restaurant that his father wants him to save, and a new apartment near the ocean. The last thing that he expects is to fall in love - but fate has different plans for him.

**Riptide**

Chapter 1:

It’s the beginning of summer when Sanji moves to Yashimura.

A small beach town on the coast of Okinawa, population one-thousand seven hundred and eighty. Well, one-thousand seven hundred and eighty _one_ now. The perfect place to start over - away from everything and everyone who knows him.

 _Away from his ex. Away from her friends_.

His father was kind enough to set him up with a job here. Something about an old friend needing help with a failing restaurant. In prime summer time, Sanji couldn’t see how a beachside restaurant could possibly be failing, but he’d take any opportunity that didn’t involve working in Tokyo.

When he pulls up, he thinks he’s at the wrong place. The building is small and worn down - it looks more like an old house than a place to eat. Upon closer inspection, Sanji notices the weather-worn sign in the front of the building - “The Going Merry”. _What a strange name for a restaurant._

Sanji sighs and checks his watch. He’s still got an hour until the moving truck meets him at his new apartment. He pulls into the empty parking lot and decides to go in and meet the manager. He wonders vaguely if maybe he’s too late - maybe the place has already shut down.

He opens the door, and lets a surprised “oh” escape his lips. While the outside of the restaurant looks bleak and run down, the inside is a completely different world. The entire back of the building is constructed of beautiful glass windows that look out over the cliff side to the ocean. The tables are all modern, sleek, and arranged in a classic bistro format. The walls are exposed wood and brick, reminiscent of something Sanji had seen in a magazine about New York City once. The walls are decorated with art - _wow, beautiful artwork_ \- of abstract shapes and colors. Light piano music that Sanji doesn’t recognize is coming from mounted speakers. Against the wall opposite of the windows is a fully stocked bar. It’s modern, sleek, and hip.

“Oh,”

Sanji hears a voice from behind him.

“I’m sorry, sir, but we aren’t open right now.”

Sanji turns to see a thin woman standing in the doorway. She has shoulder length blonde hair that falls in curtains around her pointed face. Her eyes are big, brown, and kind.

“Ah, no,” Sanji begins to say, his speech catching a bit at the sight of such a pretty girl. “I’m Sanji, Zeff’s son. Your new chef.”

“Oh!” The girl claps her hands together in excitement and approaches Sanji. “You’re early!”

Sanji smiles, guilty. “Yeah, well. I’m super impatient. I left Tokyo first thing this morning.”

“Well, we’re glad to have you.” She holds out her hand, “My name is Kaya Merry. I am the owner of this restaurant. It’s a pleasure to meet you - Mr...?”

“Sanji. It’s just Sanji.” He takes her hand and returns the smile.

“Well, alright then ‘Just Sanji’, can I show you around?”

“I’d love that.”

Kaya leads him to the center of the dining area, and Sanji is able to fully take in the impact of the view. It’s absolutely stunning and it reminds Sanji of what he loves most about Japan - the beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere. The waves and the ocean are clear and beautiful from the windows. The cliffs look like they were hand carved and placed perfectly into the sand. Sanji notices a man jogging on the beach - it looks relaxing.

“Quite a view, huh?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“It’s what draws customers here. In the summer, the sea comes alive with a special type of glow in the dark plankton. So even in the dark the ocean is beautiful. We always get a lot of customers when that happens.” Kaya’s voice is soft and sad. She stares out the window,lost in thought.

“So,” Sanji speaks quietly,“you run this place all by yourself? Aren’t you a little...young? To be running a restaurant by yourself?”

Kaya nods and turns to face Sanji. Up close, Sanji notices that Kaya has bags under her eyes and that her skin is a little too pale. She looks tired, worn down.

“You see,” she explains, “my father owned this place. It was very special to him. He recently fell ill and passed away.”

“I’m so sorry…”

After a slight pause and an another sad look out the window, she continues:

“As much as I’d like to keep things going, it seems that I’ve contracted the same illness. I can’t be here as often as I’d like to. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to keep this place going by myself. But this place was my father’s dream, and I want to see it shine as bright as it did when he was here. He was the head chef, and from what he’s told me, he and your father were close friends. Zeff tells me that you are a good cook and a hard worker. We could really use that here.”

“I’m an _excellent_ cook,” Sanji corrects her. “And I’m here to help in any way that I can. Any friend of my dad’s is a friend of mine.”

“That’s wonderful to hear.” She smiles again.

“Could you show me where I’ll be working?”

“Oh, yes! Of course.” She leads him through a very small corridor to the kitchen.

The kitchen’s layout is nice - open and spacious. The steel countertops are clean, and the pots and pans are all organized. The pantry is stocked, and Kaya informed Sanji that they employed a fisherman to catch fish from the local ocean to cook with. Fresh ingredients. Aside from the outside of the building, this restaurant seemed like it was a literal _dream_ so why on earth was it about to go under?

The answer comes before Sanji can ever ask the question - while Kaya is showing Sanji the freezer, another person arrives at the restaurant. He’s tall and thin, with dark hair and dark eyes.

“Kuro,” he introduces himself, staring into Sanji’s eyes as if searching for something. He reminds Sanji of the cats that used to plague the streets of Tokyo - always up to something, always ready to steal the food from your hands when you’re not looking.

“Sanji.” He shakes Kuro’s hand.

“Nice to meet you, Sanji. Where are you from?”

“Tokyo. I worked at the Baratie under chef Zeff. He’s my father.”

“Odd,” Kuro says, his eyes still searching Sanji’s face for something. “I don’t recall Zeff having a wife...”

This bothers Sanji. What business was Sanji’s personal life to this stranger?

“He doesn’t have a wife. I’m adopted.” Sanji knows that he isn’t obligated to give this information, but he doesn’t want to be so untrusting right away. Even if this guy _does_ seem super shady.

“Ohhh, and where are you from originally? You don’t look Japanese.”

“Don’t be rude Kuro,” Kaya interrupts, to Sanji’s appreciation. “I don’t look Japanese either, but that’s because my mother was German. There’s no need to ask him such things.”

“You’re right, Miss Kaya. My apologies, sir.” Kuro gives Sanji’s hand one final, very hard, squeeze and disappears into the dining area.

“Who the hell was that weirdo?”

Kaya pouts slightly and sighs. “Kuro was my father’s sous chef. And our current head chef. He took care of my father when he fell ill, and he looks after me now. He’s very kind, most of the time. I think he’s just nervous about having a new face here.”

Sanji nods, “and I doubt he’s happy about being replaced as head chef.”

“Well, actually he’s fine with that. He’s never wanted to cook. He really wants to become the owner of the restaurant.”

This makes Sanji uncomfortable and he begins to understand why his father sent _him_ here.

“But,” Sanji eyes Kaya curiously. “You’re the owner.”

Kaya nods, and smiles her sad smile once again.

“But like I said, I don’t know how much longer I’ll be around. You know, because of my illness.”

Something was up, and Sanji knew it. He’d been in this place for less than 24 hours but it was obvious. There was no way that a place with a view like this, a kitchen like this, and a history like this could be failing without some kind of outside influence.

Or maybe it wasn’t failing it all. Maybe Sanji’s dad had sent him here to stop something from happening. Or to stop _someone_.

“Right. Well, hopefully I can help make your dream of seeing this place come alive a reality.” Sanji gives Kaya a final smile and checks his watch - fuck - the moving guys are going to be at his apartment in 10 minutes.

“I’ve got to go meet the moving truck at my apartment. But I can come by for the dinner shift tonight and see how things go around here? And maybe even have a new menu sketched up by tomorrow?”

Kaya’s face positively lights up. “That would be wonderful!”

“Lovely.” Sanji plants a friendly kiss on Kaya’s hand and lets himself out the back door. His mind is elsewhere as he gets into his car and turns the keys in the ignition. He thinks about Kuro, and how that guy just gave him the wrong vibe. He begins driving, and reaches down to put his new address into his gps. He isn’t paying attention when a figure darts in front of his moving vehicle and he almost doesn’t stop in time.

“Fuck!” He yells, slamming his foot causing the ear splitting screech of his tires. He looks up to see the jogger from earlier standing in front of his vehicle.

It’s a man, about his age. Muscular with a strong jawline. His hair is dyed a pastel shade of mint green, and he’s wearing an expression that almost makes Sanji was to put his car in reverse and retreat. The man rips the earbuds from his ears and shouts at Sanji:

“Watch the fucking road, jackass!”

Sanji feels his anger begin to rise. Who the fuck did this guy think he was? Okay, sure, Sanji _did_ just almost run him over. But it was a total accident! And maybe Sanji wouldn’t have run into him if this idiot has been paying attention to where he was running!

He rolls his window down.

“Don’t tell me how to fucking drive, maybe you should fucking watch where you’re running!”

The other man raises his eyebrows. “Are you fucking serious?”  He gestures to the crosswalk sign, which is green for walkers to cross.

Sanji feels a momentary pang of guilt, but his stubbornness doesn’t allow him to back down. He slams his hand onto the horn.

If the man looked angry before, he looks livid now. He stands still, crosses his arms, and raises his eyebrows in...amusement?

“Wow you’re a fucking asshole, huh?”

Sanji doesn’t have time for this.

“Move out of the fucking way.”

“Why the fuck should I?”

Sanji honked his horn again and revved his engine.

“Hit me. I dare you.”

Sanji is seriously tempted to, but just then a car comes from the other direction and the man is forced to move out of the way. Sanji slams on the gas and bolts through the crossing, flipping off the green-haired man as he does so.

What an asshole. Sanji laughs it off as he drives to his apartment. He arrives just in time to meet the movers.

This town is small enough and cheap enough that Sanji can afford a beautiful oceanfront apartment. He assists the men in loading his boxes and his heavy furniture into the apartment, tips them, and begins his new set up. It’s hard work, but Sanji enjoys it.

The apartment is spacious and filled with lots of light from the many sizable windows. It’s a nice one bedroom apartment with a seperate bath and toilet. The kitchen is gorgeous - a must for a Sanji apartment.

He opens the door to his balcony and the sound of summer cicadas mixes with the not so distant sound of the ocean. Yashimura could not be any more different from Tokyo.

Tokyo was always loud, always busy. With a population of over 3 million people, it was easy to feel overwhelmed. Now, Sanji feels at peace. Yes, a fresh start was exactly what he needed.

While unpacking, Sanji finds a few of his ex’s things. A  porcelain hair brush, a pink sweater, a bird shaped keychain. All of them flood Sanji’s head with memories of the woman he’d once loved. He takes a box and writes “Connis” on it, tossing her things into the box and shoving it far off into a corner. He figures that he can just mail everything to her.

Feeling slightly overwhelmed at finding her things, Sanji heads out to the balcony to have a much needed cigarette. He lights up, takes a long drag, and lets out a sigh. He’d move to Yashimura to _get away_ from Connis and all things associated with her. Why was he stuck thinking about her now?

The breakup had been quick, but not painless. It was a long time coming, and once it was over Sanji desperately longed to get away from anything that reminded him of her. She had been his longest and most serious relationship, but things just weren’t meant to be. She wanted to settle down and get married and he...he wanted...what _did_ he want?

She told him that she would never be enough for him, and while he protested this at the time, he knew that she was right. She never _was_ enough for him. _No one_ ever was. Sanji got bored fast and moved on. It’s why he didn’t really have any serious friends. What was the point?

Sanji finishes his cigarette and continues unpacking. He starts to feel hungry and decides to run to the grocery store to stock his fridge before heading back out to The Going Merry for work.

Like everything else in this town, the grocery store is small. This particular store is just a 5 minute walk from Sanji’s new apartment. Sanji is pleased to find lots of fresh seafood, and splurges on some crab. He purchases a few essentials, stocks up on produce, and makes his way back home.

Things are peaceful. Relaxed. Quiet. Almost too quiet.

Getting antsy, Sanji makes his way back to the restaurant. This time, there are a few cars in the parking lot. Upon entering, Sanji is met by an unfamiliar face.

The red-headed waitress gives Sanji a warm smile as he walks into the dining room. “Just one?” She asks, pulling a menu from her apron. I

Sanji is immediately floored by how beautiful this woman is. Her body is slender, yet curvy in all the right ways. Her big brown eyes hooded with beautifully long eyelashes. She even has dyed hair - Sanji’s weakness.

Sanji can barely speak as the woman approaches him. She’s wearing a blue tank top that accentuates her cleavage, with a black waitress apron tied around her waist. Her skin is sunkissed and smooth.

She cocks her head to the side, confused. “Sir?”

Sanji swallows hard. “Uh, hi.” He manages, trying to avoid looking directly into her chest.

“Hi.” She says, a little apprehensive. “Would you like a table?"

Before Sanji can answer, Kaya enters the room from the kitchen area and notices him. He’s thankful when she hurries over to them.

“Sanji! Thank you again for coming today.”

Sanji nods, putting on what he hopes is a suave smile.

“Of course. This is my new job, right? I’d better live up to my expectations.”

The waitress looks confused, and Kaya notices.

“Nami, this is Sanji. He’s going to be the new head chef here. He just moved here from Tokyo. He’s here to help us get this place back on track!”

The confusion slips from Nami’s face, and is replaced with a gorgeous smile.

“Ohhh so that’s why you were being weird!” She says with a laugh. “You could have just told me that you were a new employee!” She slips the menu back into her apron and extends her hand. “I’m Nami.”

“Sanji.” Feeling bold, and having recovered from the momentary loss of motor control,  he grabs her hand and plants a kiss on it.

Nami giggles, _she giggles_! That’s a good sign, right?

“Nice to meet you, Sanji. I hope that you like it here at The Going Merry. It’s a special place, and it means a lot to us.” She pulls her hand back. “If you need help with anything, anything at all, just let me know.”

The night goes smoothly. As Sanji expected, tourists flock here in the summertime. It’s still early in the season, but every table at the restaurant is filled with people. Sanji meets the rest of the wait staff - another beautiful girl named Vivi, and a younger boy named Tony. Sanji gets along with them almost instantly - and before long they’re joking back and forth with one another.

After sampling the menu items in the back, Sanji gets to work on creating the new menu. He decides to go with an upscale japanese-french fusion menu. Seafood is the main draw to this location, so Sanji knows to highlight it in every dish. Doing this is second nature to Sanji. Creating menus and recipes is easy, it’s _fun_ even. When he was little, he used to draw up pretend menus for pretend restaurants and show his father. He always enjoyed coming up with themes and ideas. He would draw pictures of the restaurants and come up with names. He absolutely loved it.

Sanji spends the remainder of his night helping out in the kitchen. The staff is small - Kuro, and two other men that Sanji doesn’t care too much for. They’re brothers named Sham and Buchi, and Sanji is pretty sure that the only reason they were hired was because they seem to be friends of Kuro’s. Their cooking is fine, but Sanji knows that once he stepped in as head chef he is going to have to work twice as hard to keep up with his standards.

By 11PM, the restaurant finishes serving its last customer and Sanji helps with closing procedures. He runs the new menu by Kaya, which she positively loves, and agrees to start introducing the new items starting first thing tomorrow. Through the large restaurant windows, Sanji sees that it’s begun to rain.

Sanji is about to leave and head back to his apartment, when he feels the soft touch of a hand on his arm.

“Hey! New guy!” He turns to see Nami in a leather jacket, smiling her stunning smile.

“Nami!” Sanji returns the smile, almost a little too eagerly.

“Is there any way you can drive me to my apartment? I walked here earlier and I completely forgot my umbrella. I don’t live too far.”

“Absolutely, gorgeous.” _Is he being too bold?_

“Oh my god, thank you so much!”

 _Nope. Just bold enough_.

As the two leave the building, it becomes clear that the rain is falling a lot harder than Sanji had realized. Summer storms were bound to be a lot worse out here than they were in Tokyo.

The drive to Nami’s apartment is short - she lives only a few blocks away. They chat about Sanji’s life in Tokyo, and Sanji learns that Nami’s never been too far outside of Yashimura.

“You should take the trip out to Tokyo sometime. It’s a great city.”

“I’d love to! And now I’ve got a friend to show me around!”

 _This is it. She’s totally into him!_ Sanji pulls the car to a stop outside of the apartment building.

“Well, this is my place! Thanks again for driving me.”

“It’s no problem, any time.” Sanji knows he’s got to do it now. T _hey’re getting along so well already_! “But uh, can I ask you something?”

Nami holds up her hand.

“If you’re going to ask me out, I need to tell you that I’ve already got a boyfriend.”

_Damn it._

“Of course.” Sanji tries to play it off, “That makes sense.”

“But,” Nami continues, flashing her all too kind, all too pretty smile once again, “My friends and I are all going out tomorrow night for my sister’s birthday.”

_Sister? She has a sister? Maybe this isn’t a total failure after all!_

“I know that you just moved here, so I’m sure that you don’t know anyone left. We’re kind of a band of misfits, but we’re a lot of fun to be around. Why don’t you come out with us?”

“That sounds great!” He says, watching as Nami opens her car door to the downpour outside.

“I’ll give you more details tomorrow at work, but there’s a bar downtown called Franky’s. My friend bartends there.”  She gives Sanji one last heart-stopping smile, closes the door, and runs into her apartment building through the rain.

On his drive home, Sanji decides that he’s going to like living in Yashimura.

**********

The downtown area of Yashimura is cool. It’s where all of the tourist hotels are located, right along the bay. There are tattoo parlors, cafes, clubs, and bars. Sanji blends right in as he walks through the streets with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, wearing his best pressed blue pinstripe button up.

He spots a martial arts dojo crammed in amongst the buildings, and is intrigued. He loved taking martial arts in the city, and wonders if this place would be any good to continue his training.

Franky’s is a small bar with neon lights in the windows. It seems that whoever designed the place must have been trying to take the term “hole in the wall” as literally as possible. The floors are cement, the walls are cement. The air smells of liquor and smoke, and Sanji is totally in love.

On the walls are abstract paintings that resemble the ones on display at The Going Merry. _Maybe they were done by a local artist?_

“Sanji!” Nami calls out to him from the back of the bar, and waves for him to join her.

When Sanji arrives at the table, he sees that she wasn’t kidding when she referred to her friends as a “Band of Misfits”.

“Guys, this is Sanji. Sanji, this is...well, everyone! You already know Chopper and Vivi--”

“NOOOO NOT EVERYONE!” The man sitting across from Nami basically screams this as he flails his arms in her face. “ZORO ISN’T HERE YET!”

“You’re right, I’m sorry Luffy. Sanji, this is everyone _minus_ Zoro who is running late because he’s teaching at the dojo tonight. He’ll be here later.”

 _Dojo? Her friend works at that dojo? Awesome!_ Sanji makes a mental note to ask this guy about classes when he gets here.

“Don’t scream in people’s faces, Luffy, it’s rude.” the man who speaks now is sitting beside the screaming guy. They look similar, but this guy seems a little older. He’s wearing a necklace of shark teeth over his bare chest. His shirt is completely unbuttoned, and tattered and torn. Sanji wonders if this man stole the shirt from a homeless person.

The man is wearing a bright orange safari hat and smoking a cigarette. He’s handsome and undeniably cool.

“I’m Ace.” He says, snuffing his cigarette out on the table. He stands and reaches out his hand, which Sanji accepts.“This is my kid brother, Luffy. He can be a bit much sometimes.”

“Hey!” Luffy shoots up from his seat and extends his hand out as well. “Don’t tell people that!”

Sanji releases Ace’s hand and accepts Luffy’s.

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Luffy!” He smiles, a big, broad smile that takes up his entire face. He’s wearing a straw sunhat with a red ribbon on it.

“Yeah, I got that part.”

Luffy lets go of Sanji’s hand and returns to his seat. He’s still smiling, and looks eagerly around the table. “Introduce yourselves!” He commands, taking his beer from the table and chugging it.

“I’m Brook.” The man sitting beside Nami gives a polite wave. He’s an extremely tall, extremely handsome black man. His hair adds an extra 6 inches to his head. Sanji notices that he’s got his arm around Nami. “Probably the only black guy you’ll see in this part of Japan.” He flashes a smile. “I’m Nami’s boyfriend.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Nami’s sister, Nojiko.”

Sanji can’t help but notice how Nojiko is just as beautiful as Nami. The same slender frame, the same full bust. Her hair is dyed a brilliant blue. She’s got the same smile as Nami’s, and seems just as kind. _Jackpot._

“The bartender over there is my girlfriend, Robin.” She says, gesturing over towards the bar where Sanji notices he’s being watched by another gorgeous woman with jet black hair. She waves.

Sanji waves back and tries to hide the disappointment in his face. Aren’t any of these beautiful women single?

“And this,” Nojiko nudges the man next to her. “Is Usopp.”

The man rubs the spot that she nudged. He’s a weird looking guy with a long nose. “Nice to meet you.” He says, cracking a crooked smile up at Sanji.

“Thanks so much for inviting me out. I’ll try my best to remember all of your names.”

The night goes on, and Sanji discovers that Nami’s friends are awesome. They’re a little weird, but all of them are a ton of fun to be around. Sanji especially likes Luffy. After getting past Luffy’s hyperactivity, Luffy is actually really fun to be around.

Sanji learns a lot about these people in the hour and half that he’s around them. They take turns going up against one another in billiards, the loser has to buy drinks. It’s fun, and Sanji can’t remember the last time he’s had fun like this.

“I’m a musician,” Brook explains, while Luffy and Nami face off. “I came here on a study abroad program from America.”

“America?” Sanji asks, in surprise. “I honestly couldn't tell. You speak Japanese beautifully.”

“When I came here, it was only supposed to be a few months. But once my program was up, I decided to go and see the countryside. I wanted to see parts of Japan other than Tokyo. And what would you know? I fell in love.” His eyes glance up to look at Nami. She’s really into the game with Luffy and they’re throwing light hearted insults at one another.

“She’s beautiful.” Sanji says, noticing the way her hair bounces on her back when she laughs. He takes a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket, puts one in his mouth, and lights it. He takes a long drive.

“She is.” Brook agrees. “But I didn’t just fall in love with her. I fell in love with this country - this town. Her friends. All of it. I can’t imagine ever going back to my life in America.”

Sanji nods, letting the smoke pour out of his mouth. “You found a new life here.”

“I did.”

Sanji considers this. Could he find a new life here? It was possible. He’d done it once before. This was supposed to be a fresh start. Maybe, he too, could learn to fall in love.

“ZORO!” Nojiko shouts from beside Sanji and jumps up. She runs and basically throws herself into the arms of a muscular man that had just arrived. “YOU CAME!”

“Happy Birthday, Nojiko.” The man says, returning her embrace. Everyone else gets up to go and greet him, and Luffy and Nami put their game on hold.

Sanji makes his way over to the group, but stops when he sees Zoro.

“You!” He hisses, pointing his finger.

Zoro looks towards Sanji and his face breaks out into a devious smirk. “Well, if it isn’t pretty boy driver!”

Sanji feels his face grow hot. _This_ asshole.

“You two know each other?” Nami asks, looking between the two men.

“Oh yeah, we met yesterday when he tried to plow me down with his car.”

“You WHAT?” Luffy shouts, staring at Sanji with a dropped jaw.

“That is _not_ what happened! He walked in front of my car while I was driving!”

“The crosswalk was _green_.”

“You weren’t paying attention to where you were walking!”

“You weren’t paying attention to where you were _driving_.” Zoro’s voice is calm, cool. “Sorry fuckface, one of these is clearly more dangerous than the other.”

Sanji says nothing. Usopp seems to sense the unease in the room, and tries to dissolve it:

“Well it sounds to me like it was all one big misunderstanding. So why don’t I buy everyone a round of drinks and we can go back to playing billiards, eh?”

Sanji and Zoro lock eyes. Sanji glares, and Zoro glares right back.

“Fine with me.” Zoro says, that asshole smirk still on his face.

There’s something electric about the way their eyes meet. An unspoken, tangible energy between them. Sanji can’t stand this guy, and yet he feels compelled to be near him. He’d lived his entire life being unmatched, bored even. And now...Now there was someone who felt worthy of a challenge.

“Sure,” Sanji agrees. “Mind if I go against this guy?”

“Oooooohhh a challenge!” Luffy gets excited and jumps up and down. “I wanna waaaaattcchhhh!”

Zoro’s smirk spreads into a grin. “Bring it on pretty boy.”

“It’s Sanji.”

“Whatever. Just let me get a beer first.”

Sanji grins back, and takes another long drag of his cigarette. This is going to be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2! Thanks so much for all of the comments. A lot of people are commenting on the fact that I put Nami with Brook. Most of the time in AU's she's with Luffy and I just can't see her with Luffy! So I put her with the person that would make the most sense for this universe - the musician that stole her heart. I know it's weird! And I don't normally ship them, but it just WORKED for this fic. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and bear with me. It's a slowburn so it's gonna take a while for the smoochies but they're coming. Thanks!

**Riptide**

 

Chapter 2

 

It’s 4AM when Robin finally kicks them out of the bar.

“Look, I love you guys, but I’ve got to go to sleep.” She reaches onto the billiards table and starts picking up the balls. 

“No, wait!” Sanji protests. “I was just about to beat him!” 

Zoro howls with laughter. 

“I don’t care what you were about to do, it’s my bar and I’m closing up. Now  _ go home _ .” Robin takes the stick from Sanji’s hand. 

“But---” 

“Home.  _ Now. _ ” 

“That’s 6-5. I win.” Zoro hangs his stick back onto the rack and stretches his arms. “I told you I’d kick your ass.” 

Sanji curses and shoves a cigarette in his mouth. He was so fucking close! He was about to win! Fucking bullshit. 

Sanji says goodbye to what’s left of his new friends - Luffy, Ace, and Nojiko. He lights the cigarette and heads outside. 

The summer air is hot and sticky. Sanji’s head is spinning and he figures that he’s too drunk to drive, so he decides to go for a walk down by the bay. He walks through the now empty streets, taking in how much quieter it is. From here, he can hear the waves and the gulls. The air smells and tastes like salt, and Sanji is once again calmed by the presence of the ocean. 

He stops in the middle of the street and takes a long drag of his cigarette. He holds in his breath and basks in the peace he’s feeling. Tonight has been one of the best nights he’s had in a long time. He thinks of the people he’s met tonight and hopes that he can see them again soon. 

Luffy is crazy, but so much fun. Sanji can tell that Luffy is someone worth being friends with. Nami is gorgeous, funny, and smart. Brook seems like he has countless stories to tell. And Zoro...

Zoro is an ass, but Sanji can’t deny that through the night, Zoro kept him on his toes. They were constantly firing insults at one another, nearly getting physically violent, but Sanji could never tell what was going to happen. Zoro is on Sanji’s level, and despite his overt distaste for the other man’s personality, Sanji enjoys being near someone that keeps him wanting more. 

He loves a challenge, but it was more than that. Zoro didn’t just beat him - they were evenly matched. It was fun playing against Zoro. It wasn’t too easy and it wasn’t too hard. It was...exciting. 

But Zoro was definitely an asshole. Yeah.  _ Totally an asshole. _

“I said leave me alone!” 

Sanji turns his attention to the alleyway nearby. A woman who had been at the bar with him but not a part of his group is standing there, being followed closely by a very drunk man. 

“Awwwww, come on baby! I’ve been waiting all night! You can’t just leave like this!” 

“I don’t even know you! Just please leave me alone.” 

The man grabs the woman’s arm aggressively. “Hey, I’m just tryin’ to talk to you--”

Before he can finish his sentence, Sanji’s foot is slamming into the man’s face. Even drunk, Sanji still manages a decent roundhouse kick. The man hits the pavement with a nasty  _ thud _ . 

“She said to leave her alone.” Sanji growls, stomping the man’s face into the pavement. 

The woman thanks him quickly and runs off. Sanji lifts his foot and the man groans in agony. 

“Scum like you don’t deserve to be in the presence of a woman. If I see your face again, I’ll fucking kill you.” He drops his cigarette on the man and turns to head back to the ocean, but stops when he sees Zoro watching him from across the street. 

_ Fuck _ . 

Sanji pulls out yet another cigarette and puts that in his mouth and lights it. Trying to act casual, he crosses the street and blows a stream of smoke behind him. 

“Where did you learn to kick like that?” Zoro’s voice is genuine, impressed even. 

Sanji stares at the blacktop. His blonde hair covers his face in a way that hides his expression. “Where’d you learn to butt into other peoples’ business?” 

“Hey, I’m serious. That was really impressive.” Zoro pauses. “You a fighter?” 

Sanji glances up at the taller man through his bangs. Zoro is staring at him, arms crossed. 

“Something like that.” 

Zoro says nothing, but Sanji can tell he’s thinking hard about something. 

Sanji takes another drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke towards the sky. It’s now that he notices how clearly he can see the stars. In Tokyo, the lights from the buildings always obstructed the view of the stars in the sky. Here, in this coastal village, Sanji can see them clearly. 

“It’s a shame that our game got interrupted.” Zoro doesn’t move from his spot. He stands in on the sidewalk with his arms crossed over his chest, eyes on Sanji. 

Sanji takes this opportunity to meet Zoro’s eyes and -  _ there it is again _ \- that same electricity that he’d felt earlier in the bar. Like something is drawing him towards this asshole and making him want to stay and talk. 

“Yeah, damn bartender.” Sanji keeps his voice as cool and casual as possible. What is it with this guy? What does he want? And why does Sanji care so much about being impressive in front of him?

“Well, now that I know that you can fight like that, I was thinking that we could have a rematch. I own that dojo over there, and I live there too.” He gestures towards the dojo that Sanji had noticed earlier. “Feel free to stop by if you’re ever up to spar.” 

_ Now, that sounds like a fucking plan. _

Sanji can feel himself getting excited. 

“If I’ve got the time.” Sanji says cooly, tossing his cigarette to the ground and crushing the butt with his shoe. 

The sound of the waves crashing in the distance is becoming louder, more clear. Sanji can feel himself starting to sober up, but still doesn’t trust himself to drive. 

Zoro smirks and begins walking towards the dojo. “Good night pretty boy.” he says with a wave behind him. 

Sanji begins walking towards the beach again, his back to Zoro, no longer needing to hide the inescapable smile from his face. 

**********

Things at The Going Merry are going better than Sanji could have ever expected. By Sanji’s second week working there, the menu has been completely re-done. Customers are singing his praises on a nightly basis, and people are coming to the restaurant just to try his food. 

Sanji knows that his food is good, and he feels confident about his ability to keep customers happy. 

The kitchen crew however...has been driving Sanji up a fucking wall. Time and time again, he’s caught undercooked food going out. Both Sham and Buchi have ignores Sanji’s orders for specific food related changes - and Sham almost killed someone with a mushroom allergy. Sanji takes it upon himself to cook allergy-specific dishes in his own pans with his own hands to avoid any possible lawsuits. Kuro has been leaving work early to “take care” of Kaya, who Sanji notices gets worse at night. When Sanji approaches Kuro about the performances of the kitchen staff, he’s met with indifference. 

Sanji feels as though it’s being done purposely to sabotage him. 

But...why? These men rely on The Going Merry as their primary source of income, and since Sanji’s been working there they’ve all received bonuses. Kaya has told Sanji when they first met that Kuro dreamed of taking over the restaurant, so why did Sanji feel like Kuro couldn’t care less about the success of the menu or the customers? 

Sanji guesses that it has something to do with the reason why his father sent him to Yashimura in the first place. 

_ “You want to leave Tokyo?” His father had asked, eyes serious and steady. He was always trying to figure out what Sanji was thinking.  _

_ “I want to get away. Her friends are my friends. We have the same favorite coffee spot. I literally can’t stop seeing her even if I want to. And I can’t keep working here at the Baratie. I need something else...I don’t know what. But I know that I need to find something that makes me feel like I’ve accomplished my dreams.” _

_ His father let out a breath and leaned back in his chair. He eyed Sanji suspiciously over his tangled beard and mustache.  _

_ “And what are your ‘dreams’, Sanji?” _

_ “I don’t know. But I need to figure that out. I know that much.”  _

_ After more silence, his father sits forward with a sigh.  _

_ “Well then, if you’re so eager to get out of Tokyo, I’ve got a favor to ask of you. There’s a small coastal town off the coast of Okinawa. A friend of mine has a restaurant there that might be running into some trouble soon. Why don’t you move there, and work as the head chef for the summer. Maybe after that you can figure out what ‘dreams’ you so desperately need to accomplish.”  _

Sanji considers his father. 

His father had taken Sanji in when he was 10 years old. An orphaned runaway that could barely speak Japanese, stowed away on a cargo ship. He’d seen Sanji at his worst, and he’d seen him at his best. He knew Sanji better than Sanji knew himself. There had to be a reason why his father sent him here. 

He reflects on his father’s words: _ “a friend of mine has a restaurant that might be running into some trouble soon.”  _

Sanji’s father had never said that The Going Merry was in jeopardy of going out of business, he’d only said that it was in trouble. 

Sanji decides that whatever the problem is has something to do with Kuro. He can’t explain why, but that guy gives him a bad vibe. 

One morning while getting ready to prep ingredients at the restaurant, Sanji is surprised to see Usopp there. He’s sitting at a table near the window in the dining room across from Kaya. He’s in the middle of telling some sort of elaborate story with hand gestures and props made from forks and napkins when Sanji walks in. 

“And then he says - oh! Sanji! Perfect timing!” Usopp notices Sanji and beckons for him to join them. 

“Come here, I need to use you for an example!” 

Sanji is hesitant, but when he sees Kaya look over at him expectantly, he obeys. 

“Alright, so, I said to him: TAKE THAT YOU BIG-NOSED FREAK!” He karate chops Sanji in the gut, and yells “USOPP CHOP!” 

Sanji doubles over, clutching his stomach. Out of sheer instinct, he reaches up and grabs Usopp by the collar of his shirt. 

“What,” he wheezes, “the,” he takes a moment to steady his breath and grits his teeth, “fuck?” 

Usopp seems unphased by this. 

“And then, he fell into the ocean! And I was crowned the new captain of the crew!” 

Kaya bursts into laughter and light applause. Sanji is distracted from the rage inside of him when he realizes that this is the first time he’s seen Kaya laugh. 

“Oh, Usopp! That might be my favorite story yet!” She says, wiping a tear from her eye. “Clown and circus pirates! How silly!” 

“It’s all true Kaya! The Buggy Pirates are no laughing matter! They almost cost me my left eye!” Usopp is laughing too, and Sanji releases his grip. 

He gets the feeling that he’s just become the third wheel. 

“I can’t wait to hear more stories!” Kaya looks at Usopp like he’s the only person in the world. 

“I’ve got more for you any time!” Usopp grabs a fork from the table and trusts it into the air like a sword. “The swashbuckling tales of the Might Captain Usopp have no end!” 

“Thank you Sanji, for being a part of Usopp’s demonstration.” Kaya says, turning towards Sanji. “I hope that he didn’t hurt you too bad.” 

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“It was a stage punch!” Usopp explains, returning the fork to the table. 

_ It absolutely was not a fucking stage punch _ . 

“Besides, Sanji’s tougher than he looks. Zoro told me that he saw Sanji completely knock some pervert’s teeth out the other night!” 

Kaya looks shocked. Sanji feels his cheeks grow hot. Zoro had told people about that? 

“Oh my goodness!” Kaya says softly, “You were attacked by a pervert?!”

“No, some woman was. I just kicked his ass so he’d leave her alone.” 

“So you’re a hero!” Kaya smiles.

“I guess you could say that, yeah.”

Usopp looks uneasy. “I would have done the same thing! I’d have totally put that guy in his place!” 

Sanji can see clearly what’s going on here. 

He laughs. “How long have you two known one another?”

Usopp’s face grows red. God he was so obvious. 

“Since we were children.” Kaya says, glancing towards Usopp with the sweetest smile. 

Sanji opens his mouth to say more, but is cut off by the sound of Tony - sorry, Chopper (as he keeps being corrected)- walking into the building. It’s too early for his shift, and Sanji notices he’s carrying a briefcase.

“Oh I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” His voice is high and squeaky. “I came by to check Kaya’s blood pressure.” 

He approaches and sets the briefcase on the table. He opens it and Sanji sees that it’s full of medical equipment. 

“Whoa, aren’t you like, 16? Where did you get all of that?” He asks.

Chopper rolls his eyes “I’m 19 and I’m a med student.” He pulls out the blood pressure monitor. “How are you feeling today Kaya?” 

She smiles, the childlike bliss slipping rapidly from her face. Now, it’s the smile that Sanji saw when he first met her - sad again. “I’m feeling alright. Still weak. But I can walk.” 

Chopper smiles softly and takes out his stethoscope. “Have you been eating alright?” 

She nods. 

Usopp grabs Sanji’s arm. “Why don’t we give them some privacy?” He motions towards the kitchen area and Sanji agrees. 

Once they’re out of earshot, Usopp collapses onto the floor with an audible sigh. He puts his head in his hands, completely unraveling from the happy-go-lucky guy that had just been telling Kaya stories about pirates into a manic, emotional mess. 

Sanji knows the feeling well - the feeling of pretending that everything is fine when it isn’t. Sanji remembers having to put on a fake smile when he was younger, and he can’t imagine the stress that Usopp must be feeling. 

“What is she sick with?” Sanji asks quietly. He pulls out his pack of cigarettes and slips one into his mouth, and then offers the open pack to Usopp. 

Usopp shakes his head, “No thanks, I don’t smoke.” His voice is unsteady. “They don’t know.” 

“What do you mean they don’t know?” Sanji lights up, and takes a drag. 

“They don’t know.” Usopp sighs again and leans back against the freezer. “Some phantom illness that came out of nowhere. It weakens her body and makes her cough up blood...it’s horrible.” 

“And her father had it too?”

Usopp nods. “They couldn’t figure it out with him either. It just…” 

Sanji blows out the smoke, hot and comforting from his lungs. 

“It just...came out of nowhere. One day he got sick. And then 6 months later he was gone. Kaya was completely destroyed by it. And then she got sick too, about 4 months ago.” There’s so much pain in his voice. 

“And Chopper?” 

“He started med school because he was determined to save her. But the problem is - no one can figure out what’s wrong with her. And how...how can they save her if they don’t even know what’s wrong with her?” He starts to cry. Quietly. 

Sanji is surprised by this. Based on everything he knows about Usopp, he expected Usopp to be a spectacle crier - lots of snot and howling. But he isn’t. Instead, Usopp cries like a snowstorm - quiet and slow. 

Sanji hands him a napkin from the counter, which Usopp accepts. 

“How long have you been in love with her?” The question is bold, but Sanji has never been one for subtlety. 

Usopp looks shocked. “Wha-what are you…?!” 

“You’re talking to the number one love expert here. Don’t bother trying to lie to me. How long?” 

Usopp looks away. “As long as I can remember.” 

Sanji sighs and takes another drag of his cigarette. He lets the smoke leave his mouth slowly, coating the air around him in a translucent veil. 

“Does she know?” 

Usopp nods, slowly. “I think so, yeah. But she’s sick, so she doesn’t like to talk much about the future.” 

Sanji decides to pry a bit more: 

“What’s the deal with Kuro?” 

Usopp’s face darkens. “What about him?”

“Well,” again, Sanji takes a hit from his cigarette. He talks with his lungs full of smoke, “I mean, he takes care of her right? And she says that he wants to take over the restaurant once she can’t handle it anymore.” He releases the smoke, easing into the relaxing sensation. “But he never helps out with the kitchen. He’s always trying to go home early and never sits in on meetings about the menu.” 

“That’s because he doesn’t care about The Going Merry.” Usopp mutters, his tone changing completely. “None of them do. Not him, or his little lackeys.” 

Sanji’s suspicions are confirmed - something is up with Kuro and his friends. 

“They don’t care about Kaya or this restaurant. They just want...they want…” his face contorts in frustration. “I don’t know what they want, but they want something. They moved into town only a few months before Kaya’s father got sick. He hired them to look after The Going Merry while he was bedridden but they didn’t care they just made Kaya and I do everything—“ 

“Whoa, wait, what do you mean they made you do everything?”

“Oh, I thought you knew.” Usopp sniffles loudly, “I used to work here. After Kaya’s father died, Kuro fired me and hired those two buffoons that work here now.” 

Sanji smirks, “Well would you like your job back?” 

Usopp wipes his face and perks up. “Do you mean it?” 

“Hell yeah! Buchi and Sham suck. I need a reliable person in the kitchen.” 

Usopp stands up, his usual goofy smile returning. “Kuro isn’t going to be happy about this.” 

Sanji holds his arms out wide, “look at all of the fucks I give.” 

**********

It’s not until Sanji’s first day off (two full weeks since that night at the bar) that he finally gets a chance to stop by Zoro’s dojo.

With Usopp helping out at The Going Merry, Sanji can finally take a day to himself. It turns out that while Usopp is a little weird, he’s a hard worker. Kuro was displeased at Sanji’s decision to rehire Usopp, but Kaya convinced him that it was a good idea to have an extra set of hands around. 

It was Kaya that convinced Sanji to take the day off. She told him that he’d been working himself too hard and that he deserved to see some of the wonderful things that Yashimura had to offer. 

Sanji has never seen the dojo in the daylight. Looking at it now, he notices the sign out front: Santoryu Dojo. In fine print below it: martial arts, kendo, judo, jujutsu, and more. 

Santoryu...as in the 3 sword style used by that kendo champion? What was his name? Sanji can’t remember but decides that it doesn’t matter. 

The building is old, traditional Japanese. It stands out amongst the modern buildings of the downtown scene. It’s made of wood - bamboo maybe?, and towers upward. The windows are traditional shōji, and Sanji guesses that there’s a lot of history to this building. 

He walks up the steps and pauses when he sees the nameplate on the wall: Roronoa.

Roronoa Zoro. 

_ Holy shit. _

Sanji suddenly remembers why the name Satoryu sounds familiar - it’s the sword style used by the famous kendo champion Roronoa Zoro! Sanji remembers watching the kendo competitions on tv while he was living at the Baratie. That guy fucking  _ killed  _ it! 

He fought with 3 swords - one in each hand and one in his mouth. He was undefeated! Well, until a few years ago when he stopped competing. 

Was this  _ that _ Zoro?! 

Sanji feels himself getting excited.  _ The _ Roronoa Zoro lives here? And he wants to  _ spar _ with Sanji?

Sanji slides the door open. He notices that the floor mats are tatami so he removes his shoes. He takes a moment to appreciate the architecture. Tokyo has plenty of old buildings but Sanji’s never seen anything like this. The atmosphere is traditional and so incredibly Japanese. 

“I was starting to think that I’d scared you away, pretty boy.”

Sanji looks up and sees Zoro standing in the hall, arms crossed. He’s wearing a dark green hakama that compliments his dyed green hair. He’s got a smirk on his face and one eyebrow raised. 

In his excitement Sanji had forgotten his distaste for this guy. 

“It’s Sanji.” He says, straightening up in the doorway. 

“Whatever.” Zoro rolls his eyes. “Are you here to fight?”

Sanji glares at the other man. Why did this guy have to be such an ass?

“I’m here to even the score.” Sanji reaches into his pocket and pulls out his pack of cigarettes. “And to kick your ass--” 

“If you think you’re going to smoke in here, you’d better back the fuck up. This place is centuries old and there’s no way I’m going to let you stink it up.” 

Sanji stares, but slowly slides the pack back into his pocket. 

“Fine.” 

“Let’s go.” Zoro turns and leads Sanji through the hallway, and then pulls aside a sliding door to reveal a spacious room. The floors are matted, and the walls are decorated with the same artwork that Sanji had seen at both Franky’s and The Going Merry - but these ones are more suited to fit the niche atmosphere of the dojo. Along the walls are bamboo kendo swords. 

As Sanji made his way into the room and takes in everything in full. It’s now that he notices that the  centerpiece of the room is a framed portrait of someone that Sanji doesn’t recognize. A young girl, no older than 15 with chin length black hair. 

“Her name was Kuina. Her family owned the joint when we were kids.” Zoro says quietly, and Sanji realizes that he’s been staring. 

“Where is she now?” He asks.

“She died when we were 15.” Zoro’s voice isn’t sad, he sounds as though he’d recovered from it long ago.

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Sanji says, and bows towards the photo. 

“It’s okay,” Zoro says nonchalantly. “You didn’t kill her.” He sighs, “She was one hell of a swordsman though. The best one I’ve ever met.” 

Oh! Right. Sanji turns towards Zoro. 

“You’re...Roronoa Zoro?” He asks, trying to sound casual.

“Yes?” 

“Like, the kendo champion?”

Zoro snorts. “Something like that.” He walks over towards the kendo swords. “You know how to use a sword?” he asks, picking one up and seamlessly changing the subject. “Or do you just use your fists and legs?”

“Just my legs.” Sanji smirks. “I never use my hands for fighting.”

“And why’s that?” 

“These hands,” He says holding both hands palm up, “Are for creating art through my cooking and touching beautiful women only.” 

Zoro laughs,  _ actually laughs _ , out loud. “Oh yeah? You cook?” 

“Yes, asshole.” Sanji shoves his hands into his pockets. “So why don’t you get over here and let me kick your ass?” 

Zoro grasps the kendo swords tighter in his hands and narrows his eyes. His smirk spreads into a grin and he licks his lips in anticipation. Had he been waiting for Sanji to show up to fight him? 

Sanji feels a fire ignite in his chest, he’s positively shaking with excitement.  _ Bring it on _ .

He lunges himself at Sanji, but Sanji is quick. He blocks Zoro’s first blow with an easy frontward kick. Zoro’s second blow comes quickly from behind with his other hand, but Sanji spins and blocks that one as well. 

Sanji swings his right leg towards Zoro, but is blocked. This dynamic continues for several minutes: one of them will attack and the other will block. Again, and again. Sanji can feel himself working up a sweat as the other man dodges yet another one of his attacks. 

Zoro manages to get a hit on Sanji’s shoulder, and Sanji uses the chance to knock Zoro’s feet from under him. Zoro falls back against the matt and curses loudly. 

“You weren’t kidding about those legs, pretty boy!”

“That’s 6-6. We’re tied.” Sanji’s heart is pounding, when was the last time he’d had a fight like that? When was the last time he’d felt a thrill like that?

He reaches out a helping hand to Zoro, and Zoro accepts. Sanji pulls the other man to his feet. 

“Ready to go again?” 

“Ready to have your ass hit the floor this time?” 

“Let’s go.” 

Round 2: very much the same as the first time, but both men are more into the movements. Sanji doesn’t have to hold back with Zoro, and it’s not something that he’s used to. 

The dojo is big and there’s plenty of room for Sanji to move the way he likes. The tatami flooring makes it easy for him to place his hands on the floor and use his favored spin kick. He uses this move to knock one of Zoro’s kendo swords from his hand. 

Zoro is using two bamboo swords, and with the loss of one has to think quickly. He’s fast, but Sanji is faster. Zoro risks another blow to Sanji’s right side, but Sanji evades. With a final swing of his left leg, Sanji once again knocks Zoro to the floor. 

“Fuck.” Zoro rubs his side. “If you cook as good as you kick, I’m gonna have to have you make me dinner.” 

“7-6.” Sanji says with a smirk, pulling Zoro to his feet again. 

“Enjoy your lead for now but once I figure you out, your ass is mine.” 

Sanji feels his chest tighten at those words. For a fleeting moment, he wonders what it would be like to let Zoro completely take him on, full strength, like an animal. 

Sanji immediately burns that thought from his brain. 

_ What the fuck. _

“You thirsty?” Zoro stretches and returns the bamboo swords to their holders. 

“Wh-what?” Sanji’s face feels hot. Probably from the exercise. _ Definitely from the exercise _ . 

“Do you want water?” Zoro speaks slowly, enunciating on every syllable as if Sanji had just asked him the stupidest question in the world. 

“Oh.” Sanji laughs, “yeah, sure. Thanks.” 

Zoro rolls his eyes and walks back towards the hallway, leaving Sanji alone. 

Sanji takes this moment of solidarity to really look around. With the doors closed, Sanji would never guess that this dojo was in the middle of the downtown area of a small city. He feels like he’s in a samurai movie, at some secluded dojo in the mountains. 

He steals another look at the portrait of Kuina. How soon after this photo was taken did she die? How  _ did _ she die? The girl in this photo looks so young and so full of life. The look in her eyes is fierce, and Sanji is sure that if she’d lived, she’d have been an incredible woman. 

Sanji decides to look for a bathroom. Since this is a dojo that offers classes, he knows that there is probably one directly off of this room. He slides open the first door he finds, and comes across another hallway. The walls are decorated with more of the same artwork that Sanji is starting to get used to seeing around. He walks through the hall and slides open another door, but he doesn’t find a bathroom.

Instead, he finds what looks like a large closet. There are lights on, and the walls are lined with shelves that are full of awards. Kendo awards. First place ribbons hang from the walls, dozens of them. In the center of the room there are three swords on display. Not bamboo swords like Sanji had seen in the dojo, but real beautiful katana. 

Each one is different. There’s a red one, a white one, and a black one. Sanji moves close to get a better look and can tell that they must be extremely valuable. The hilts are all hand woven and the sheaths are freshly polished. Sanji reaches out and runs his finger along the smooth, cool metal. 

“You know,” Zoro’s voice startles him, “it’s rude to snoop through someone’s house.” 

Sanji turns to see Zoro leaning in the doorway. Zoro holds out a water bottle and raises his eyebrow in amusement. 

“I’m sorry,” Sanji says quickly, “I was looking for a bathroom.” 

“You’re in the wrong area of the building. The dojo bathroom is by the entrance. You’re in my house. Well, part of it at least.” 

Sanji accepts the water bottle. “What is all of this?” He asks, motioning around the room. 

“I thought you said that you were a fan.” Zoro cracks open his bottle and takes a sip. “This is my legacy. All of my trophies and ribbons from years of competitive kendo.” 

“What about the swords?” 

“Some competitions let you use real katana. Those are my most prized possessions.” 

Sanji takes a moment to look around the room again. There are trophies in English and Japanese. Ribbons from all over the world. 

“Why did you stop?” 

Zoro thinks for a moment. 

“I’m not a very public person.” He says after a minute. “And then more titles you win, the more the press pushes into your private life. Eventually I got tired of it. Too many tabloids and rumors. It wasn’t worth it.” 

Sanji nods. He remembers the stress that the tabloids had put on his father when the Baratie had first gotten popular. So many lies, so many twisted words. 

“Come on, let's go another round.” Zoro says, turning and leaving the room. 

Sanji takes one last look at the gorgeous swords and follows. 

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! This was my first time ever writing these characters, but I'm pretty happy with it. I plan to update this regularly and have it finished pretty quickly (if all goes according to plan).


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